Valet stand and garment hangers



y 13, 1955 L. w. VAN DUSEN 3,184,066

VALET STAND AND GARMENT HANGERS Filed Nov. '7, 1962 INVENTOR. AAUZE/VCE 14/. l/4/V .0055

BY gov/7% ATTOEA/EW United States Patent 3,184,066 VALET STAND AND GARMENT HANGERS Laurence W. Van Dusen, Escondido, Calif., assignor to Mission Industries, Escondido, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Nov. 7, 1962, Ser. No. 235,931 6 Claims. (Cl. 2111) This application is a continuation-in-part of Serial Number 164,959, filed January 8, 1962, now Patent No. 3,150,776, granted September 30, 1964.

This invention relates to garment hanger devices and has particular reference to a so-called valet stand or freestanding assembly for temporarily hanging one or more suits of clothes or the like.

Valet stands, generally made of wood and of attractive design, have become popular pieces of bedroom furniture, used to temporarily support a suit of clothes or the like. Such devices generally comprise a stand having afhxed thereto a coat or jacket hanger or suspension member and a trousers-supporting bar positioned thereabove so that the device can be conveniently used by first placing the jacket thereon, followed by the trousers, i.e., in the order in which the garments are removed by the wearer. Conversely, the garments supported on the stand are in position to be donned by the wearer in the customary manner, that is first the trousers and then the jacket. These devices are, however, subject to the disadvantage that if and when it is desired to transfer the garments from the valet-stand to the closet, it is necessary to remove the garments from the valet stand hanger and trousers.- support bar and then re-hang or support the garments on the conventional jacket hanger and/or trousers hanger for placement in the closet. A novel valet stand which is not subject to this disadvantage is disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 164,959, filed January 8, 1962, of which this is a continuation-in-part.

The valet stand of the above-mentioned copending application is eminently suitable for the purposes for which it is intended, but is designed as a high-quality product and is concomitantly somewhat expensive to manufacture in the specific embodiment shown and described in said application.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a novel valet stand of improved structure which is extremely simple in construction, yet highly effective for the purpose for which it is intended.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of garment hanger device particularly adapted for use in combination with the valet stand of the present invention, yet having independent utility.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel valet stand and garment hanger combination which is capable of being mass-produced on an economical basis.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention it is believed will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side elevation thereof.

FIGURE 3 is atop plan view thereof.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view, illustrating the manner in which the garment hanger or supporting assembly is hung upon the conventional closet rod.

Referring now to the drawings, the device of the present invention includes a stand portion generally indicated 1% including an upright frame member or post 12, suitably connected to a base 13 by any convenient means such as the nut 14 which engages a threaded end 15 extending through an aperture 16 in the base. The base may be of any desired configuration suitable for support of the entire assembly, but is preferably generally circular as shown.

The upper end of the stand comprises means forming a generally horizontal slot 29, the specific means shown comprising a lower wall member or disc element 21 and an upper Wall member 22, the wall members being generally parallel and secured together in spaced apart relation by means of a spacer element 23. The element 23 is provided with a threaded lower end portion 24 extending through an opening 25 in the member 21 and into threaded engagement with a sleeve 26 secured to the post 12, which is preferably hollow as shown. Preferably, the wall member 22 is integral with side walls 39 and forms therewith a tray generally indicated 31, the tray being designed for use in holding small objects normally carried by the user, such as change, wallets, watches and the like.

Removably supported on the stand 10 is one or more garment-supporting assemblies or hangers, each including a jacket-supporting hanger or suspension member 41, a trousers-supporting bar 4-3 and a hook member 44. The jacket-supporting member 41 is formed of a single length of wire or the like, suitably bent as shown to provide at the two ends thereof a pair of hook or eye portions and 51, the wire curving outwardly and away from each portion 519, 51, provided with a return bend as at 52 and 53 and returning to merge into the relatively straight portion 54 extending between and adjacent to the hook portions 56 and 51. The trousers-supporting bar 43 and the hook member 44 are preferably formed of a single length of wire, the end of the hook member 44 being bent into hook shape as at 56. The bar 43 extends through the hook portions 51) and 51 for depending support of the hanger member '41 as shown. Means are provided for preventing disassembly of the two members thus connected and for preventing longitudinal movement of the bar 43 relative to the hanger member 41, and as shown, these means may comprise the jog-like curved portions 60 and 61 provided in the rod 43 at the point of contact by the hook members 56 and 51. Adequate clearance between the curved portions 6% and 61 of the rod 43 and the hook members 50 and 51 is provided so as to permit relative turning of the rod 43 and its connected hook member 44 about the center line of the rod 43, with respect to the member 41. It is to be further noted that the wire forming the rod 43 and the hook member 44, including the portion 56, is bent in such a manner that the center line of the portion of the Wire forming the hook member 44 and the hook shape portion 56 lies generally in a single plane. As shown best in FIGURE 2, the wire thickness is slightly less than the Width of the slot 2% so as to permit ready insertion of at least a portion of the hook member 44, including all of the hook shape portion 56 into the slot. By reason of this construction, the outermost side surfaces of these portions of the wire lie in two generally parallel planes, the spacing between the planes being slightly less than the width of the slot Zll.

The use of the device thus described, insofar as supporting a jacket and pair of trousers is concerned, is the same as with the conventional valet stand, with the exception that the present device may incorporate more than one garment-supporting assembly, rather than the single as sembly provided with the conventional valet stand. Moreover, the garment-supporting assemblies are readily removed from the stand. Thus, it will be seen from the drawings that the garment-supporting assemblies are readily supported on the stand 10, by merely inserting the end of the hook member 44 into the slot 20, in the position shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3. In this position, the garment-supporting member 41 pivots or swings -39 tothe vertical position shown. The jacket or coat to be supported is then merely placed upon the hanger 41 in the usual manner and conveniently without removal of the entire assembly from the stand. The pair of trousers are easily placed upon the support bar 43 in the conventional manner, adequate clearance being provided between the tray 31 and the bar43 to permit insertion of the trouser legs therebetween. After placement of the garments as described, the garment-supporting assembly or assemblies and the garment supported thereon are adapted .to be bodily removed from the stand, merely by grasping .the hook member 44 at a point adjacent the intersection thereof with the rod 43 and moving the same out of the slot. As soon as the portion 56 clears the slot 20, the user merely twists his wrist slightly in the appropriate direction to rotate the hook member and rod 43 to the vertical position, whereupon the assembly and supported garments can be readily placed in the closet upon the conventional closet rod, in the manner shown in FIG- URE 4. For most convenient use of the device, the

userwill be supplied with a plurality of garment-supporting assemblies, so that at least one such assembly can be maintained upon the stand at all times, with an additional supply of such assemblies being maintained in the closet with garments supported thereon, permitting convenient transfer of garments between the stand and the closet.

The present invention, insofar as it relates to the combination of the stand and a garment-supporting assembly or assemblies, is not limited to the specific structure of garment-supporting assembly shown and described above, such combination requiring only a jacket-support- -ing member to which is operably connected, preferably rotatably as shown, a hook portion of sufficient rigidity and size to be inserted in the slot 20 for support of the jacket-supporting member.

It is to be further understood that the garment-supporting assembly has utility independent of the specific stand '10 shown and described herein. For example, the slot 20 can be provided by means other than that shown herein, such as for example, in a fixture mounted on a bedroom wall, a closet door, the side or top of a dresser, etc. Also, an appropriate slot or slotted opening for the reception of the hook portion can be built into a piece of furniture such as a dresser, chair or the like.

- bar connected to the upper portion of said garment hanger member, a hook member connected to the trousers-support bar, said garment-supporting hanger being formed of a single length of wire, the two ends of said wire being formed into eye portions, said trousers-supporting bar being inserted through said eye portions for rotational movement of said bar and said hook member with respect to said garment-supporting hanger member, and means on said bar for preventing longitudinal movement of said bar with respect to said hanger.

2. A device for hanging garments comprising the combination of a free-standing support member, means on said support member forming a generally horizontal slot; and a garment-supporting assembly removably connected to said support member, said garment-supporting assembly including a hook portion having a thickness slightly less than the width of said slot for insertion into and removal from said slot in a general horizontal direction whereby said garment-supporting assembly is removably supported on said stand, said assembly including a garment-supporting hanger operably connected to said hook portion for swingable movement of said hanger with respect to said hook portion so that said hanger is adapted to be maintained in a generally vertical position independent of the disposition of said hanger portion with respect to the horizontal and the vertical, said garmentsupporting hanger having garment shoulder-engaging portions extending generally in a vertical plane, and a trousers-support bar connected to the upper portion of said garment-supporting hanger, said hook portion being connected to said trousers-supporting bar.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said trousers supporting bar and said hook portion are rotatably connected to said garment-supporting hanger.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said trousers-supporting bar and said hook portion are rotatably connected to said garment-supporting hanger, the garmentsupporting hanger being formed of a single length of wire, the two ends of said wire being formed into eye portions, the trousers-supporting bar being inserted through said eye portions, means being included to prevent longitudinal movement of said bar with respect to said hanger and permitting axial rotation of said bar with respect to said hanger.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said bar and said hook portion are formed of a single length of wire.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the hook portion is of curved configuration having opposite sides lying in parallel planes spaced apart a distance slightly less than the width of said slot.

References (Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,542,320

CLAUDE LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

2. A DEVICE FOR HANGING GARMENTS COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A FREE-STANDING SUPPORT MEMBER, MEANS ON SAID SUPPORT MEMBER FORMING A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL SLOT; AND A GARMENT-SUPPORTING ASSEMBLY REMOVABLY CONNECTED TO SAI SUPPORT MEMBER, SAID GARMENT-SUPPORTING ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A HOOK PORTION HAVING A THICKNESS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID SLOT FOR INSERTION INTO AND REMOVAL FROM SAID SLOT IN A GENERAL HORIZONTAL DIRECTION WHEREBY SAID GARMENT-SUPPORTING ASSEMBLY IS REMOVABLY SUPPORTED ON SAID STAND, SAID ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A GARMENT-SUPPORTING HANGER OPERABLY CONNECTED TO SAID HOOK PORTION FOR SWINGABLE MOVEMENT OF SAID HANGER WITH RESPECT TO SAID HOOK PORTION SO THAT SAID HANGER IS ADAPTED TO BE MAINTAINED IN A GENERALLY VERTICAL POSITION INDEPENDENT OF THE DISPOSITION OF SAID HANGER PORTION WITH RESPECT TO THE HORIZONTAL AND THE VERTICAL SAID GARMENTSUPPORTING HANGER HAVING GARMENT SHOULDER-ENGAGING PORTIONS EXTENDING GENERALLY IN A VERTICAL PLANE, AND A TROUSERS-SUPPORT BAR CONNECTED TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID GARMENT-SUPPORTING HANGER, SAID HOOK PORTION BEING CONNECTED TO SAID TROUSERS-SUPPORTING BAR. 